New Delhi, Feb. 8: Vicky Thakur, the main accused in the abduction of Patna student Kislay Kaushal, evaded Delhi police last evening near a multiplex at Saket but three of his associates were arrested.

Vicky, a trusted aide of jailed north Bihar gangster Chunnu Thakur, is suspected to have masterminded the kidnapping of the Delhi Public School, Patna, student on January 19 when he was on his way to school.

A special Delhi police team had been coordinating with the Bihar force for the past 10 days following information that Vicky was in Delhi.

Around 8.30 last evening, police teams lay in wait near the PVR movie multiplex at Saket on a tip-off that Vicky would be coming in a Safari.

They rounded up Brajesh Mishra, 25, Rajesh Singh alias Chintu, 23, and Rajiv Chaudhary alias Master, 24, on the charge of assisting Vicky in the snatch operation and harbouring him, but did not get the kingpin, who had already boarded the Northeast Express.

The police are now trying to ascertain if Kislay was brought to Delhi and hidden here or the three had found a hideout to be used as a safe house by Vicky.

Praveer Ranjan, deputy commissioner, south district, said the three had been told to hunt for a hideout. The Safari with Uttar Pradesh registration plates belonged to Mintu Singh, an old classmate of Vicky from Delhi University.

The arrested Rajiv Chaudhary and Rajesh Singh are Vicky?s schoolmates based in Delhi, where they operated for Chunnu Thakur, now lodged in Hajipur jail, arranging hideouts and other logistics.

The Bihar police have been informed and a team is on its way to take custody of the trio, Ranjan said.

Vicky had come to Delhi on January 5 ? a fortnight before Kislay was kidnapped ? by Rajdhani Express with his wife Mona and some associates, including Subodh, Chunnu Thakur?s brother.

During interrogation, Brajesh, a close associate of Vicky, has confessed that Kislay was kidnapped by Vicky and his gang.

?Vicky Thakur made Brajesh in-charge of operations in Delhi. It was on his instructions that Brajesh moved to Delhi in advance to arrange for a hideout. Brajesh is familiar with Delhi and had lived in the PVR Saket area. He finally rented an apartment in Shyam Nagar, Khyala, with the help of Rajiv Chaudhary,? said DCP Ranjan.

Vicky left for Patna on January 10; the next day, Brajesh arrived in Delhi. The kidnapping was carried out on January 19.

After the operation, Vicky returned to Delhi on January 28 and stayed in hotels in Paharganj with the help of Rajesh, who runs a travel firm, Bhagwati Tour and Travels, there. Rajesh finally got him an air ticket under the fake name of Pankaj Srivastava, but Vicky could not fly to Patna as the flight was cancelled.

In the meantime, Patna police had arrested Vicky?s mother and sister. Scared, Vicky left the hotels and took shelter in the hideout arranged by Brajesh till he could take the Northeast Express out of Delhi.